Photographer’s Comments
“Where do I even begin to tell the story of Ben and Simona’s glorious garden wedding in Costa Mesa? Emotional, joyous, spirit-filled, and LOVING are words that hardly scratch the surface of what comes to my mind as I remember the day.
Proposal Story
“Ben and Simona were born on the opposite sides of the globe, and the story of how both of them arrived where they are today is an amazing testimony of God’s love, provision and grace. They met in college, and their relationship endured two years of long-distance dating while Ben finished his degree on the opposite side of the state. When he came home, he took Simona to a park they frequently visited in their early dating years, and he read aloud prayers from his prayer journal as he asked Simona to marry him.
Wedding Design
“Their ceremony and reception design was inspired by spring florals along with their love for beautiful, Victorian decor. The music choice at the reception was inspired by a love of swing dancing. Naturally, their first dance was a fun display of swing-dancing, and guests participated in swing dancing throughout the evening.
“It was a true family-oriented wedding — all of the vendors involved are friends of the bride and groom, and so much help came from their family and friends to bring the wedding together.
“Simona was filled to the brim with joy the entirely of her wedding day. From the moment I walked through the front door and saw her getting her hair and make up done, to the tears that welled up in her eyes as she slipped into her wedding dress (her mother’s wedding dress was a true vintage 1950’s gown from Paris!), to the moments of anticipation waiting to see her groom for the first time, to hours later dancing the night away with her handsome husband – Simona was the kind of glowing and radiant that only the peace and joy of God could bring to a person.
“The same can be said for Ben. He looked at his bride the way only a man who admires and honors a woman with 110% of his heart does. To be honest, I cry every time I look at the gallery of their wedding photos! The love between Ben and Simona is so precious that I can’t contain myself.
Favorite Moments
“One of my favorite moments as a wedding photographer is being able to witness the magical behind-the-scenes moments when a girl is being transformed from a woman into a bride. When Simona stepped into her wedding dress and looked around at the women closest to her, with tears in her eyes she exclaimed, ‘I feel like I just became a woman!’
“Another favorite moment from their wedding day was the Romanian tradition of the bride’s family (grandparents and all) giving the bride away to her groom at their home before the ceremony. Ben ran to his bride and embraced her and showered her with sweet whispers while her family wiped away tears. My own eyes were welling with tears during their sweet ceremony, as the newlyweds skipped up the aisle, guests surprised them with a shower of ribbons! I swear I’ve never seen smiles as big as theirs when this happened! Those huge smiles never left throughout the night, as they danced the night away with their loved ones and celebrated their union in marriage.
